The invention relates generally to breaking in locked doors, and more particularly to a metal reinforcing plate for wooden door jambs for strengthening a structurally weakened part thereof.
A door jamb provides a hollow space in which a latch bolt of a door can be engaged to lock the door against opening. The hollow space is close to an edge of a jamb leaving only a thin layer of wood to break away in order to force entry. A striker plate mounted around the hollow and fastened by screws adjacent thereto further weakens the jamb. A shoulder thrust or a hard kick is usually sufficient to break the jamb and open the door.
The prior art teaches reinforcing the door jamb with a metal plate fastened to the front of the jamb and usually including a striker plate. More screw fastenings and screw holes adjacent the jamb hollow for a latch bolt add little to the strength of the jamb, and finished surfaces have to be recessed for their installation. See E. R. Lamphere, U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,945; F. M. Sushan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,962 and 3,290,081; A Barone U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,840.